Electroluminescence is the emission of light under electric-field excitation. Based on this mechanism, electroluminescent (EL) lamps are finding an increasing number of applications in the field of flat panel displays due to the growing demand for consumer electronic products, e.g., cellular phones and portable computing devices. EL lamps also provide uniform light emission independent of viewing angle and they are insensitive to mechanical shock and vibration. They can be easily DC-driven at 1.5-9 volts by using inverters that generate AC voltages of about 100-300 V (peak-to-peak) at frequencies of 50 to 1000 Hz.
The two major EL lamp constructions are generally referred to as thin film and thick film. Thin-film EL lamps are made by depositing alternating thin layers of dielectric materials, phosphors and conductive oxides on a glass substrate using a vapor deposition technique such as CVD. Thick-film lamps are made by suspending powdered materials in resinous materials and then applying the materials in layers onto a plastic film using conventional screen printing techniques. Hence, the thick-film EL lamps can be thin, flexible and rugged thereby making them suitable for a wider range of lighting applications.
The phosphors available for thick-film EL lamps are primarily comprised of zinc sulfide that has been doped with various activators, e.g., Cu, Au, Ag, Mn, Br, I, and Cl. Examples of these phosphors are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,009,808, 5,702,643, 6,090,311, and 5,643,496. Examples of commercial EL phosphors include: OSRAM SYLVANIA Type 813, a blue-emitting ZnS:Cu phosphor, OSRAM SYLVANIA Type 723, a blue-green emitting ZnS:Cu,Cl phosphor and OSRAM SYLVANIA Type 523, a yellow-orange emitting ZnS:Cu,Mn phosphor. Typically, the individual particles of the EL phosphors are encapsulated with an inorganic coating in order improve their resistance to moisture-induced degradation. Examples of such coatings are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,220,243, 5,244,750, 6,309,700, and 6,064,150.
The brightest of the phosphors for thick-film EL lamps emit primarily in the blue to green spectral region at wavelengths from about 400 nm to about 550 nm. Because of this, the color palette available to manufacturers of EL lamps is relatively limited. EL phosphors have been combined with photoluminescent phosphors in order to produce a white light. Unlike EL phosphors, the photoluminescent phosphors are not stimulated by the electric field in an EL lamp. Instead, the photoluminescent phosphors are excited by the light emitted by the EL phosphor. These phosphors produce a visible light emission which when combined with the remaining emission from the EL phosphor makes a white light.
For example, Chinese Patent Publication No. CN 1340590A describes mixing blue- and blue-green emitting EL phosphors with a cerium-activated yttrium aluminum garnet phosphor Y3Al5O12:Ce, (YAG:Ce). The YAG:Ce phosphor is a photoluminescent phosphor that is excited by wavelengths emitted by the blue and blue-green EL phosphors. The yellow emission from the YAG:Ce phosphor together with the blue- or blue-green emission from the EL phosphor creates a white light. Other examples include U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/164,153 which describes a white-emitting electroluminescent lamp that uses a phosphor blend comprising a blue- or blue-green emitting electroluminescent phosphor and an europium-activated alkaline earth phosphor having the general formula Sr1−xCaxS:Eu where 0≦x≦1, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/711,682 which describes a high CRI electroluminescent lamp produced by combining a blue- or blue-green emitting EL phosphor with an europium-activated alkaline earth silicon nitride phosphor.